The present invention relates to an operating method for an internal combustion engine which operates with an exhaust-gas aftertreatment system, and in particular for an internal combustion engine which is operated with diesel fuel, in which a plurality of operating programs, which can be used in a step sequence, are used for the exhaust-gas aftertreatment system operating with a particle filter. The particle filter is regenerated as a function of its loading and is monitored for when a limit loading is exceeded. A support program is used for regeneration of the particle filter with a temperature increase of the exhaust gases fed to the particle filter.
An operating method of this type which operates in multiple stages is known from European publication EP 1 028 235 A2. In this operating method, an unladen particle filter is provided in a starting state and, proceeding from this state, two special operating programs are used. The first special operating program is activated when the loading of the particle filter is so great that it needs to be regenerated. This first special operating program operates by intervening in the control of the internal combustion engine in such a manner that the exhaust-gas temperature is increased, i.e. the internal combustion engine operates with worse efficiency, and/or with an additional heating device.
The second special operating program is activated when previous measures have not worked and the degree of loading has risen beyond the acceptable loading which initiates activation of the first special operating program, i.e. the particle filter is overloaded. This second special operating program provides for the measures of the first special operating program to be made more intensive, i.e. for the exhaust-gas temperature to be increased further. For this purpose, operating states of the internal combustion engine in which extremely high exhaust-gas temperatures are reached, or high exhaust-gas temperatures are reached very quickly, are proposed.
If these measures do not succeed either, for example if the particle filter is blocked with ash or has been irreversibly damaged, for example as a result of the particle filter being broken or burnt through, fault indicators are provided and, to avoid damage to the internal combustion engine, if necessary, measures intervene in the internal combustion engine control in order to limit its power output.
Overall, therefore, in the known operating method, in each case working on the basis of the state of the particle filter, in each case only measures which relate to the particle loading of the particle filter per se and have the objective of burning off the particles by suitably increasing the temperature, are initiated.
Furthermore, it is known from European publication EP 0 115 722 B1, in an operating method for an internal combustion engine which operates with an exhaust-gas aftertreatment system which comprises a particle filter, to vary the controlled initiation, which is based on the degree of loading of the particle filter, of the regeneration of this filter in terms of the initiation time, i.e. the loading threshold, as a function of operating states of the internal combustion engine, with the speed and loading of the engine being provided as control variables.
The invention is based on the object of extending an operating method of the type described in the introduction with regard to the possibilities of influencing factors which have an influence on the regeneration and thereby of improving the functionality of the operating method.
In the context of the invention, this is achieved by an operating method in which a reactivation program is used for components which are associated with the exhaust-gas aftertreatment system in addition to the particle filter when successive, preceding and successful activations of the support program occur at a frequency greater than a predetermined limit frequency. The function of the components of the exhaust-gas aftertreatment system which comprises the particle filter is taken into account when determining the method steps and, if necessary, the regeneration of the particle filter is influenced by means of reactivation of the components of the exhaust-gas aftertreatment system. The basis of this is that, in the event of a predetermined loading limit being exceeded, regeneration can generally be brought about by means of a support program for the regeneration, which uses a temperature increase for the exhaust gases, if, on account of special conditions, the automatic regeneration is disrupted and the result is a higher level of loading which is critical as a limit loading.
Examples of factors which have an adverse effect on the automatic regeneration of the exhaust-gas aftertreatment system are driving cycles which, depending on the corresponding operating performance of the internal combustion engine, lead to lower exhaust-gas temperatures, so that it is no longer possible for temperatures which initiate the regeneration to be reached by means of the components of the exhaust-gas aftertreatment system, which have a significant role in determining the response of the regeneration in the automatic regeneration mode.
Examples of components of influence in the exhaust-gas aftertreatment system are, in the case of what are known as CRT systems (continuously regenerating trap systems), the oxidation catalytic converter which is mounted upstream of the particle filter and generally effects the continuous regeneration of the filter but the function of which may be adversely affected by accumulations of sulphur to such an extent that sufficient particle regeneration is no longer achieved. Further components which influence the particle ignition temperature and therefore the initiation of the regeneration are devices in which additives which correspond to the particular fuel and reduce the particle ignition temperature or in which the exhaust-gas temperature is increased by special measures upstream of the particle filter.
By recording the frequency of the successive instances in which the support program is successfully activated, it is possible, using the feedback in the operating method, to make a judgement as to whether system components of the exhaust-gas aftertreatment system have been irreversibly damaged, since in the event of irreversible damage a regeneration operation carried out after the limit loading has been achieved by activation of the support program cannot lead to the regeneration in turn proceeding automatically, but rather the regeneration has to be constantly initiated by activation of the support program. Accordingly, in the event of irreversible damage to the components, warnings to the driver and to the on-board diagnosis and also, if appropriate, an intervention in the control of the internal combustion engine (emergency driving mode) are required in order to rule out permanent damage, for example to the particle filter or the internal combustion engine.
However, the question of irreversible damage is preferably not only determined on the basis of whether the additional measures forming part of the support program have exceeded a limit frequency, but also the fact that the limit frequency has been exceeded is initially used to initiate reactivation of the components of the support program. If this reactivation does not lead to any improvement in the regeneration performance, the result is that the additional measures of the support program on the basis of which, when the limit frequency is exceeded, the reactivation program is initiated again, are constantly initiated. The repeated, successive initiation of the reactivation program is therefore proof of irreversible damage to the components, so that as a result of this information, as the method proceeds, the assessment of the limit frequency of the activation of the support program with regard to the initiation of the reactivation program is no longer performed, and the measures of the support program are instead used to carry out the regeneration with a view to operation of the internal combustion engine which if necessary is maintained as an emergency running mode.
Therefore, the operating method according to the invention is distinguished by a high level of accuracy in its self-diagnosis and ensures that both additional measures as part of the support program, but also in particular reactivation measures, are only initiated if they are absolutely necessary.
Further details and advantages of the invention will emerge from the claims. Furthermore, the invention is illustrated and explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings.